Overview

Don’t wait for that promotion! Start leading NOW…right where you are!

What’s the number one question leadership expert John C. Maxwell is asked while conducting his leadership conferences? “How can I implement what you teach when I’m not the top leader?”. Is it possible to lead well when you’re not the top dog? How about if the person you work for is a bad leader? The answer ...

More About
This Book

Overview

Don’t wait for that promotion! Start leading NOW…right where you are!

What’s the number one question leadership expert John C.
Maxwell is asked while conducting his leadership conferences? “How can I
implement what you teach when I’m not the top leader?”. Is it possible to lead well when you’re not the top dog? How about if the person you work for is a bad leader? The answer is a resounding yes!

Welcome to The 360° Leader. People who desire to lead from the middle of organizations face unique challenges. And they are often held back by myths that prevent them from developing their influence. Dr. Maxwell,
one of the globe’s most trusted leadership mentors, debunks the myths, shows you how to overcome the challenges, and teaches you the skills you need to become a 360° leader.

If you have found yourself trying to lead from the middle of the organization, as the vast majority of professionals do, then you need
Maxwell’s insights. You have a unique opportunity to exercise influence in all directions—up
(to the boss), across (among your peers), and down (to those you lead). The good news is that your influence is greater than you know.

Practice the disciplines of 360° leadership and the opportunities will be endless . . . for your organization, for your career, and for your life.

Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly

In this latest treatise, leadership mega-guru Maxwell (The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership) taps a rich vein of corporate angst: the plight of the middle manager, saddled with responsibilities but lacking real power, torn by conflicting tasks and time-management dilemmas, seething with thwarted ambition. As Macbeth shows, it's a predicament fraught with tragic potential, but the staid, platitudinous treatment given it by Maxwell and ghostwriter Charlie Wetzel drains away the drama. They generally counsel acceptance of limitations. Maxwell tells middle managers to work diligently in subordinate positions, support the CEO's vision, find the good in incompetent or malevolent leaders, infiltrate their bosses' emotional lives ("Listen to your leader's heartbeat.... What makes them laugh?... Cry?.... Sing?") and "stand up for your leader whenever you can." They can thus exert an unsung but crucial "influence" over higherups, while themselves practicing a higher, sublimated form of leadership by selflessly nurturing the potential of their own colleagues and underlings. Unfortunately, Maxwell's practical advice boils down to vague truisms ("when you find a problem, provide a solution") or clich s ("If your boss is a golfer, you may want to take up the game"). His bland injunctions to resignation, patience and self-effacement are unobjectionable, but also uninspiring. (Jan. 10) Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

Soundview Executive Book Summaries

These are classic pictures of leadership: William Wallace leading the charge of his warriors against the army that would oppress his people. Winston Churchill defying the Nazi threat as much of Europe had collapsed. Mahatma Gandhi leading a 200-mile march to the sea to protest the Salt Act. Mary Kay Ash going off on her own to create the world-class organization Mary Kay Cosmetics. And Martin Luther King Jr. standing before the Lincoln Memorial challenging the nation with his dream of reconciliation.

Each of these people was a great leader. Each made an impact that has touched millions of people. Yet these pictures can also be misleading. The reality is that 99 percent of all leadership occurs not from the top but from the middle of an organization. Usually, an organization has only one person who is the leader. So, what do you do if you are not that one person?

According to leadership expert John C. Maxwell, you can learn to develop your influence from wherever you are in the organization by becoming a 360-degree leader. You can learn to lead up, lead across and lead down. Only 360-degree leaders influence people at every level of the organization. By helping others, they help themselves.

Becoming a 360-degree leader is within the reach of anyone who possesses average or better leadership skills and is willing to work at it. You don't have to be the main leader to have a significant impact in your organization. Good leaders are not only capable of leading their followers but are also adept at leading their superiors and their peers.

Leading Up
Maxwell writes that leading up is the 360-degree leader's greatest challenge. Most leaders want to lead, not be led. But most leaders also want to have value added to them. If you take the approach of wanting to add value to those above you, you have the best chance of influencing them.

Your underlying strategy should be to support your leader, add value to the organization, and distinguish yourself from the rest of the pack by doing your work with excellence. If you do these things consistently, then in time the leader above you may learn to trust you, rely on you, and look to you for advice. With each step, your influence will increase and you will have more and more opportunities to lead up.

Leading Across
To succeed as a 360-degree leader who leads peer-to-peer, Maxwell writes, you have to work at giving your colleagues reasons to respect and follow you. You can do that by helping your peers win. If you can help them win, you will not only help the organization, but also yourself.

If you want to gain influence and credibility with people working alongside you, don't try to take shortcuts or cheat the process. Instead, you have to show people that you care about them by taking an interest in them. Make an effort to get to know them as individuals. You should also strive to see others' unique experiences and skills as resources and try to learn from them.

When you go out of your way to add value to your peers, they understand that you really want them to win with no hidden agenda of your own. Affirm them by praising their strengths and acknowledging their accomplishments.

What makes 360-degree leaders unique — and so effective — is that they take the time and effort to earn influence with their followers just as they do with those over whom they have no authority.

Related Subjects

Meet the Author

John C. Maxwell, the #1 New York Times bestselling author, coach, and speaker who has sold 25 million books, is called America’s #1 leadership authority. In 2014, Maxwell received the Mother Teresa Prize for Global Peace and Leadership from the Luminary Leadership Network, and was named the worlds more influential leadership expert by Inc. and Business Insider. His organizations—The John Maxwell Company, The John Maxwell Team, and EQUIP—have trained more than 5 million leaders in 188 countries. For more information visit JohnMaxwell.com.

Read an Excerpt

THE 360° LEADER

Nelson Business

Chapter One

Myth #1

The Position Myth:"I can't lead if I am not at the top."

If I had to identify the number one misconception people have about leadership, it would be the belief that leadership comes simply from having a position or title. But nothing could be further from the truth. You don't need to possess a position at the top of your group, department, division, or organization in order to lead. If you think you do, then you have bought into the position myth.

A place at the top will not automatically make anyone a leader. The Law of Influence in The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership states it clearly: "The true measure of leadership is influence-nothing more, nothing less."

Because I have led volunteer organizations most of my life, I have watched many people become tied up by the position myth. When people who buy into this myth are identified as potential leaders and put on a team, they are very uncomfortable if they have not been given some kind of title or position that labels them as leaders in the eyes of other team members.Instead of working to build relationships with others on the team and to gain influence naturally, they wait for the positional leader to invest them with authority and give them a title. After a while, they become more and more unhappy, until they finally decide to try another team, another leader, or another organization.

People who follow this pattern don't understand how effective leadership develops. If you've read some of my other leadership books, you might be aware of a leadership identification tool I call "The Five Levels of Leadership," which I introduce in Developing the Leader Within You. It captures the dynamics of leadership development as well as anything I know. Just in case you're not familiar with it, I'll explain it briefly here.

Leadership is dynamic, and the right to lead must be earned individually with each person you meet. Where you are on the "staircase of leadership" depends on your history with that person. And with everyone, we start at the bottom of the five steps or levels.

That bottom (or first) level is position. You can only start from the position you have been given, whatever it is: production-line worker, administrative assistant, salesperson, foreman, pastor, assistant manager, and so forth. Your position is whatever it is. From that place, you have certain rights that come with your title. But if you lead people using only your position, and you do nothing else to try to increase your influence, then people will follow you only because they have to. They will follow only within the boundaries of your job description. The lower your stated position, the less positional authority you possess. The good news is that you can increase your influence beyond your title and position. You can "move up" the staircase of leadership to higher levels.

If you move to level two, you begin to lead beyond your position because you have built relationships with the people you desire to lead. You treat them with dignity and respect. You value them as human beings. You care about them, not just the job they can do for you or the organization. Because you care about them, they begin to trust you more. As a result, they give you permission to lead them. In other words, they begin to follow you because they want to.

The third level is the production level. You move to this phase of leadership with others because of the results you achieve on the job. If the people you lead succeed in getting the job done because of your contribution to the team, then they will look to you more and more to lead the way. They follow you because of what you've done for the organization.

To reach the fourth level of leadership, you must focus on developing others. Accordingly, this is called the people-development level of leadership. Your agenda is to pour yourself into the individuals you lead-mentor them, help them develop their skills, and sharpen their leadership ability. What you are doing, in essence, is leadership reproduction. You value them, add value to them, and make them more valuable. At this level, they follow you because of what you've done for them.

The fifth and final level is the personhood level, but it is not a level one can strive to reach, because reaching it is outside of your control. Only others can put you there, and they do so because you have excelled in leading them from the first four levels for a long period of time. You have earned the reputation of a level-five leader.

Disposition More than Position

When potential leaders understand the dynamics of gaining influence with people using the Five Levels of Leadership, they come to realize that position has little to do with genuine leadership. Do individuals have to be at the top of the organizational chart to develop relationships with others and get them to like working with them? Do they need to possess the top title to achieve results and help others become productive? Do they have to be president or CEO to teach the people who report to them to see, think, and work like leaders? Of course not. Influencing others is a matter of disposition, not position.

You can lead others from anywhere in an organization. And when you do, you make the organization better. David Branker, a leader who has influenced others from the middle of organizations for years and who currently serves as an executive director in a large church, said, "To do nothing in the middle is to create more weight for the top leader to move. For some leaders-it might even feel like dead weight. Leaders in the middle can have a profound effect on an organization."

Every level of an organization depends on leadership from someone. The bottom line is this: Leadership is a choice you make, not a place you sit. Anyone can choose to become a leader wherever he is. You can make a difference no matter where you are.

Myth #2

The Destination Myth:

"When I get to the top, then I'll learn to lead."

In 2003, Charlie Wetzel, my writer, decided he wanted to tackle a goal he had held for more than a decade. He was determined to run a marathon. If you were to meet Charlie, you'd never guess that he is a runner. The articles in running magazines say that at five feet ten inches tall, a distance runner should weigh 165 pounds or less. Charlie weighs more like 205. But he was a regular runner who averaged twelve to twenty miles a week and ran two or three 10K races every year, so he picked the Chicago marathon and decided to go for it.

Do you think Charlie just showed up at the starting line in downtown Chicago on race day and said, "Okay, I guess it's time to figure out how to run a marathon"? Of course not. He started doing his homework a year in advance. He read reviews of marathons held around the United States and learned that the Chicago marathon-held in October-enjoys great weather most years. It utilizes a fast, flat race course. It has a reputation for having the best fan support of any marathon in the nation. It was the perfect place for a first-time marathoner.

He also started learning how to train for a marathon. He read articles. He searched Web sites. He talked to marathon runners. He even recruited a friend who had run two marathons to race with him in Chicago on October 12. And, of course, he trained. He started the process in mid-April, increasing his mileage every week and eventually working his way up to two training runs of twenty miles each in addition to his other sessions. When race day came around, he was ready-and he completed the race.

Leadership is very similar. If you want to succeed, you need to learn as much as you can about leadership before you have a leadership position. When I meet people in social settings and they ask me what I do for a living, some of them are intrigued when I say I write books and speak. And they often ask what I write about. When I say leadership, the response that makes me chuckle most goes something like this: "Oh. Well, when I become a leader, I'll read some of your books!" What I don't say (but want to) is: "If you'd read some of my books, maybe you'd become a leader."

Good leadership is learned in the trenches. Leading as well as they can wherever they are is what prepares leaders for more and greater responsibility. Becoming a good leader is a lifelong learning process. If you don't try out your leadership skills and decision-making process when the stakes are small and the risks are low, you're likely to get into trouble at higher levels when the cost of mistakes is high, the impact is far reaching, and the exposure is greater. Mistakes made on a small scale can be easily overcome. Mistakes made when you're at the top cost the organization greatly, and they damage a leader's credibility.

How do you become the person you desire to be? You start now to adopt the thinking, learn the skills, and develop the habits of the person you wish to be. It's a mistake to daydream about "one day when you'll be on top" instead of handling today so that it prepares you for tomorrow. As Hall of Fame basketball coach John Wooden said, "When opportunity comes, it's too late to prepare." If you want to be a successful leader, learn to lead before you have a leadership position.

Myth #3

The Influence Myth:"If I were on top, then people would follow me."

I once read that President Woodrow Wilson had a housekeeper who constantly lamented that she and her husband didn't possess more prestigious positions in life. One day the lady approached the president after she heard that the secretary of labor had resigned from the administration.

"President Wilson," she said, "my husband is perfect for his vacant position. He is a laboring man, knows what labor is, and understands laboring people. Please consider him when you appoint the new secretary of labor."

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Read the book to better you.

The 360 Degree Leader by John Maxwell is a winner in my world. I have to say that this book is a learning experience. So many times it is easy for us to get stagnant working in the places where we are. I have to say, lets face it a lot of us are somewhere in the middle, in our jobs, churches and lives. This book makes it ok. Not only it is ok, this book makes it a great place to be. John Maxwell is a great encourager and teacher for where you are. You have more leading capabilities that you thought possible in those positions or where you are now. I love that he gives you a website to go to and take a test to help you read the book to better you. To know your very own style of leading. It truly helps you based you your own qualities. I like that he takes you through all the myths so you can not use them as an excuse or crutch. I love to quote John Maxwell he is just so good. I will give you a one that I found so true, simple and profound "Blessed are the flexible, for they will not be bent out of shape". I loved this book. I always feel smarter after having read anything by John Maxwell. My advice is get this book and learn about you. It will help you better yourself. It will help you have a different attitude for where you are and where you could be going. I give this book five stars. I rate the books I read on a scale of one to five one being the worst five being the best. I must also let you know that I got this book as a complimentary copy from Book Sneeze in exchange for my reading it and reviewing it. The reviews I have written are all my true opinions. It was a pleasure to read this book.

4 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

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The 360 degree Leader starts with the 7 myths believed by many p

The 360 degree Leader starts with the 7 myths believed by many people who lead from the middle of organizations, followed by the 7 challenges, the 9 principles to lead up, the 7 principles to lead across, and the 7 principles to lead down. The 360 degree Leader explains clearly that leadership is important for everyone at every level of an organization (i.e. lead up, lead across and lead down); leadership is about influence instead of position. Influence means to become a person whom people will want to follow. Besides, John C. Maxwell also shows the difference between developing versus equipping people. A workbook is also provided so that readers can immediately validate their understanding about the idea of the 360 degree leadership. A free of charge 360 Degree leadership assessment is provided to those have purchased the book.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

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Anonymous

Posted June 23, 2012

Great guide to leading from anywhere!

This book gave me the confidence and empowerment that I needed to be an all around leader. I was also able to share some of the things that I learned with my team to give them the same outlook on their positions and how they can lead each others and those above them.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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An excellent Maxwell read on leadership

John C. Maxwell has enough leadership books to fill up a library all by himself. While The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership is his masterpiece, and his new The 5 Levels of Leadership is getting most attention right now, I found The 360° Leader to be a fantastic read. Maxwell explains in detail the principles for a leader to lead not only their followers, but also their peers and their own leaders. For someone in middle of their organization, with some followers below them, many peers beside them, and a few leaders above them on the organization chart, The 360° Leader is a great addition to your bookshelf.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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danblackonleadership

Posted November 11, 2011

The 360 Degree Leader by John C. Maxwell

John Maxwell says, ¿90% of all leadership in most organizations takes place in the middle.¿ This being the case, a leader needs to be able to effectively lead people who are above them, across from them, and below them. While remembering the most important person they need to lead is themselves. The book begins by sharing 7 myths of leading from the middle of an organization. Some of those myths include, ¿The Position Myth, The Influence Myth, and The Potential Myth.¿ Then John Maxwell talks about some challenges a 360 degree leader faces which are, ¿The Ego Challenge, The Fulfillment Challenge, The Vision Challenge, and The Multi-Hat Challenge.¿ These first two sections build a foundation to each of the following sections that share principles about how to successfully lead, up, across, and down. I found this book full of great leadership principles and insights. I believe no matter your leadership position this book will help you become a better leader and influencer. The book also provides a free 360 degree self-assessment. This is helpful when it comes to understanding where you are at and applying the principles.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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Anonymous

Posted March 29, 2006

A tremendous book

I am a senior executive who has to deal with bosses and employees with different temperaments, strategies and work habits. This book broadened my perspective. Showing your people how you care builds trust, and trust is essential for people and organizational success. I recommend this book for middle managers and senior executives in tandem with Optimal Thinking: How to Be Your Best Self, which I also recommend for employees.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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ReadWorm

Posted April 17, 2012

The 360° Leader – John C Maxwell
Leading from any posi

The 360&deg; Leader &ndash; John C MaxwellLeading from any position in an organisation

This book is so well written, its a delight to read with many insights that John C Maxwell has gained through a long career of mentoring leaders throughout organisations from top to bottom. Discover your leadership capabilities and realise the possibilities that are unleashed when you know how to lead those around you &ndash; even if you are not the head of a corporation or organisation.

The idea that anybody can lead, their subordinates is an accepted standard, the idea that anybody can lead their peers, is generally accepted on proviso&rsquo;s and the idea that anybody can lead their superior, well this hasn&rsquo;t really been an understood standard to base one&rsquo;s efforts in the workplace on. Maxwell puts forward really viable arguments that this is possible and backs them up with time proven examples. The effective leader impacts everybody around them &ndash; no matter what their title is.

Written with clear examples of great leaders, the issues leaders face and the solutions to just about any leadership issue, I do highly recommend this book as a lifelong reference for anybody in the world of work &ndash; it inspired me, let it inspire you.

I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze&reg;.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission&rsquo;s 16 CFR, Part 255 : &ldquo;Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.&rdquo;

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WingedOne

Posted October 7, 2011

A must for any team player!

John Maxwell has done it again. In his latest offering, "The 360 Degree Leader: Developing Your Influence from Anywhere in the Organization", he has addressed a question heard time and time again - how do I apply leadership principles if I'm not the boss? It is a valid question that John Maxwell answers in The 360 Degree Leader. He offers specific principles for Leading Down, Leading Up, and Leading Across; a nice change from so many of the books now on store shelves that deal with hypothetical and generic solutions. His book provides real solution to a real issue. if I had to pick my top 3 chapters, they would span 3 of the 6 sections. In section 1, The Myths of Leading from the Middle of an Organization - couldn't get enough of Myth #2 The Destination Myth: "When I get to the top, then I'll learn to lead.", and in section 3, The Principles 360-Degree Leaders Practice to Lead Up, couldn't stop reading Lead-Up Principle #4 Do More than Manage - Lead! and my final favourite was in section 7, The Value of 360-Degee Leaders, one section really resonated and that was Value #2 Leaders Are Needed at Every Level of the Organization. This book is great for those already in leadership positions, those aspiring to have leadership positions and anyone who wants to use really take full advantage of their talents. It can be personal or professional. This would be great for book clubs and to discuss at office meetings as well. Highly recommend this book (but get your own because this one is staying on my shelf for future reference). Well written, John Maxwell. You've done it again....an example of your own ideas of choosing to use your talents.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255.

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7601719

Posted November 20, 2010

Words of wisdom

This is a great book for anyone. Learn how to influence, motivate, and lead from any position. John Maxwell reminds us all that we do not need a specific title or position to be a leader

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Anonymous

Posted July 27, 2006

Organized explanation of leading from the top, middle and bottom

Frequent author John C. Maxwell applies his career counseling formula to another aspect of leadership: how people in the middle of large organizations can add to their company¿s leadership equation. His popular books rely on long lists of myths, challenges, principles, rules or values. Each one is identified, numbered (Maxwell is a firm believer in the power of numerical orderliness) and accompanied by an example or uplifting story - often making it unclear whether the book is inspirational, instructional or both. In practice, will people refer to these lists, or simply draw from Maxwell¿s major concepts? Although leadership defies a static definition, we believe this book may come in handy for enlightened senior and middle managers, as well as for those who are involved in developing up-and-coming managers.

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